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Description: | This report concerns a silver penny of Edward the Confessor, which has been gilded and mounted as a brooch or badge. It was found in isolation around 5" below the surface. The penny is of the Hammered Cross type of Edward the Confessor (AD 1042-66), minted c. 1060, and issued by the moneyer Thor of York. The coins has been gilded on the reverse, to display the cross design, and has been pierced in four places to allow a pin fitting and catch-plate to be riveted to the obverse. Traces of copper alloy rivets remain, although almost nothing of the actual fastenings survive. Brooches or badges of this type were comparatively common in the late 11th century, typically showing the reverse cross as in this instance, and seem to have been particularly popular in the latter part of Edward's reign. The coin has been bent, cracking the gilding. While a single coin does not normally constitute Treasure, this has received secondary treatment to turn it into a brooch, and it should therefore be considered as an object rather than a coin, in accordance with a number of similar precedents. Although it has not been analysed, coins of this period typically have a silver content of at least 80%, far in excess of the 10% threshold stipulated by the Treasure Act (1996). This will only have been enhanced by the gilding, and while the copper-alloy rivets will have reduced the total percentage of precious metal, they are too small to make a significant enough difference to affect the status of the item is Treasure. It is therefore my opinion that in terms of the key criteria of age and precious metal content, this find represents a clear case of Treasure under the terms of the Treasure Act (1996). Gareth Williams | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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